Analysis of Impact Sourcing by Infusing Social Innovation in Outsourcing for Nepal

Abstract

Outsourcing has been a buzzword in the business world for the last several decades. Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) have been dominating the outsourcing jobs to developing countries. Recently, a new shift of outsourcing to impact sourcing have emerged through which digitally-enabled jobs are given to marginalised individuals so that their material conditions would be improved.The aim of this paper is to design research to analyse effects from impact sourcing service providers (ISSPs) on the local communities. First, major stakeholders such as the providers, employees (the communities) and the clients (companies using impact sourcing), have been analysed. Theoretical framework is prepared to show their motivations to be part of the impact sourcing. Altruistic hearts and intents of both the providers and the clients could be a base to promote this impact sourcing model to the next level.

The Education-to-Work Transition of Young Rural–Urban Migrants in Kathmandu, Nepal

“…Shrestha and Sharma (2013) note that students either enrolled in college or with posthigh-school degrees are working in 6000 business process outsourcing companies operating formally or informally in Kathmandu. Many of them work in call centres (Pradhan 2017). Patel (2010) describes this as work that is done 'over the wire', with sufficient telecom and internet facilities, which provides voice-based or web-based information and support to clients in the country or abroad through English-speaking personnel.…”

“…According to Patel (2010), young people working in Indian call centres are middle-class graduates. In Nepal, call centre workers have at least a minimum education and a fair level of English (Pradhan 2017). As call centres are a relatively new phenomenon in Nepal, there is no relation between working in such a centre and a specific class position.…”

Perceived Antecedents to The Success of Impact Sourcing in Bangladesh

“…While the traditional definition of BPO underlines the practice of sending work to external organizations (Beaumont & Sohal 2004), impact sourcing aims to create employment through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for disadvantaged people living in areas of limited developmental opportunities (Monitor Group 2011; Selim 2013). Sandeep and Ravishankar (2016) highlighted impact sourcing as an incipient social innovation in BPO due to the relative newness and scarce research (Pradhan 2017;Sandeep & Ravishankar 2015) on how impact sourcing service providers (ISSPs) surface and the process through which social entrepreneurs build and operate such companies. ISSPs act as intermediaries between the outsourcing client and BPO employees and assist in the service delivery process through training and recruitment (Kennedy et al 2013).…”

“…Hence, with existing strong governmental support, initiatives and donor participation in the ICT sector (Chandan 2015), impact sourcing can create significant opportunities for the marginalized communities in the country (Avasant 2012). Nevertheless, key challenges for ImS service providers includes effective recruitment process, viable knowledge on country's ICT environment, training capabilities, retention, and identification of investors as there are a range of possible boundaries for ImS employability (Pradhan 2017;Kennedy et al 2013;Accenture 2012). This paper therefore, reports a study that aims to identify the perceived antecedents of adopting impact sourcing undertakings in Bangladesh for facilitating the recruitment process for potential ImS service providers.…”

Moving Beyond Microwork: Rebundling Digital Education and Reterritorialising Digital Labour

“…In Sri Lanka, survey data suggested how microwork services those looking for supplemental income, rather than as primary income due to income uncertainty and a general cultural preference for "working in an office" (Galpaya et al 2018). Analysis of microwork opportunities in Nepal has shown the same propensity to expressing microwork value in terms of flexibility, particularly for university students to offset tuition fees (Pradhan 2017).…”